Daniel Sturridge has said that he wants to remain with Liverpool in the future despite reports that the forward wants to leave the club following criticism from his manager, according to BBC Sport.
Sturridge has only played in nine games this season while dealing with injuries, and his fitness has been called into question at times by manager Jurgen Klopp. Sturridge said that it has been "astonishing, disappointing" to see the comments about his fitness, but that he is "very ambitious, very determined to help Liverpool have success."
Sturridge still has more than two years on his contract and he has missed time while dealing with hip, calf and hamstring injuries over the past year. Klopp reportedly said that Sturridge has to figure out "what is pain and what is serious pain," and that he needs to work more on his training and preparation. Sturridge has been able to play in each of the last three matches for Liverpool, and he is expected to play in the Europa League match for the Reds on Thursday against Augsburg.
The Mirror reports that Sturridge also is expected to feature for Liverpool against Manchester City in the Capital One Cup. Reports earlier in the month had Sturridge preparing to leave the club "after growing unhappy" with how the team has portrayed "his injury problems," according to the Telegraph. Sam Wallace reported that if the sides could reach an agreement, Sturridge would be fine with leaving Liverpool.
The Telegraph reports that some former Liverpool players have come out and made comments about Sturridge and his "commitment" to the club. Sturridge has been hampered by injuries over the past two years, and he has scored less than 10 goals during his appearances dating back to last April. Sturridge said that he wants to help Liverpool win, and that saying "a player doesn't want to play is the biggest disrespect ever."
Liverpool is currently in the eighth position on the Premier League table, and the team is just two points back of Southampton and West Ham. The team has made nice progress in the Capital One Cup and could win that hardware this season, but an EPL title seems out of reach at this point.
